Disappearing bed.



J. A. DEWEY. DISAPPEARING BED. APPLICATION FILED 00115. 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVEN TOR d. H. UEWE'Y H/6 A TTORNE Y5.

WITNESSES J. A. DEWEY. DISAPPEARING BED.

APPLIOATIONIILED 0GT.15, 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE;

* JOSIAH A. DEWEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM K.

WHITE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

nisarreanine BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMty 2c, 1914.

Application filed October 15, 1913. Serial No. 795,281.

of the city and county of San Francisco,

State of Califorhia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disappearing Beds, of which the following is a spec1- The invention relates to that type of dis appearing bed more generally known as a wall bed.

The object of the invention is to provide a wall bed which may be turned to lie on opposite sides of a wall, and whichis of si1nple and substantial construction.

The invention possesses other advantaeous features which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected -for illustration in the accompanying drawings. The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeeding said description. From this it will be apparent that I do not limit myself to the showing made by said drawings and description, as I may adopt many variations within the scope of .my invention as set forth in said claims.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the bed of my invention showing the bed in the closet or recess, the

dotted lines indicating the position of the bed after it has been turnedthrough arcs of 90 and 180 degrees. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the lower end of the bed supporting door or panel taken on the line A-A Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a perspective view of l a portion of the rack carrying plate. Fig. 4

is a detail showing a-modified form of rack.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing a modified form of construction. Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of a modified form of construction in which the center of rotation of the bed is movable in the direction of the depth of the'closet; the full lines indicating the position of the bed in the closet, andthe dotted lines indicating the position -of the bed in the room. Fig. 7 is a view-of the part of the panel adjacent the center of rotation showing the two eX-' tremepositions of the'panel.

p The opening in the wall 2 through which the bed moves, may serve as a means of communication between two apar, :uents, so that the bed may be used in either apartment, 'orit maybe the opening of a closet-caresses,

so that when the bed is not in use, it lies in the closet. It is understood that the bed is of the foldable type, which, when folded, is vertically disposed and which is moved to the horizontal when it is to'be occupied. When the bed is being moved through the opening or when it'is in the closet, it is in the folded position.

T he bed frame 3 is mounted by suitable means on a panel 4E, in such manner that when the bed is folded, the center of gravity of the bed lies between its pivotal point of attachment to the panel and the panel, so that there is notendency for the foldable part of the bed to fall down. The panel 4 is of slightly less width than the opening and when the bed is in the closet lies substantially flush with the outer surface of the wall 2. The panel is arranged so that it may be turned to cause that side to which the bed is attached to face the room so that the bed may be used.

Arranged below and above the panel, on the floor and door framing or building structure respectively, are toothed elements, preferably in the form of racks 5, which are engaged by gears or segmental gears 6 securely attached to the panel at the bottom and top, by any suitable'means, such as the flange 7, formed integrally with the gear. Each gear is held in mesh with its respective rack by means of a backing plate 8 paralleling the rack 5 and with which the centrally placed boss 9 on the gear engages. The boss 9 on the lower gear rounded on the lower end to reduce the area of contact between the boss and the bearing plate 12, thereby reducing the frictional resistance to turning. The rack 5, the backing plate 8 and the bearing plate 12 are preferably formed integrally as shown in Fig. 3. In such construction these elements form parts of the plate 13 and the backing plate and bearing plate combine to produce a slot i l in which the boss 9 is disposed.

The rack 5 is slightly longer than onelialf the circumference of the gear 6, and in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is arranged transversely of the opening of the Wall and lies substantially midway between the sides of the opening. The gear 6 fs arranged to one side of the center of the door, or panel, so that when the door orpanel in either of its extreme niaositions tbe agearien'gages. with the end of into the room, the

the rack. The center of rotation of the gear 6 or the boss 9 is preferably arranged behind the panel when the panel is in such position that the bed is in the closet. As the panel is turned, therefore, to bring the bed gear travels along the rack to the opposite end, and when the panel is turned through an arc of 180 degrees, the major portion of the gear 6 lies in front oi the panel. The panel is, therefore, not re versible in the opening, but in one position lies substantially flush with the face of the wall and in the other posit-ion is displaced backward and lies behind the face of the wall. This backward movement of the panel causes the bed to lie closer to the wall when it is in a horizontal position, so that it occupies less a'oom space. lVhen the bed in the horizontal position the head of the bed lies substantially flush with the wall, so that the person sleeping in the bed does not lie with his head within the recess. By placing the gear 6 oil center with respect to the panel and adjacent that edge of the panel which moves into the closet when the panel is turned, the smaller part of the panel extends into the closet and the closet may be made more shallow than is possible with centrally pivoted panel or a reversible panel.

In Fig. I have shown a modified form of rack 5 which causes a forward movement of the c nter rotation of the panel during its initial turning movement irom the closed position. clor 8 position, I mean the position the panel when the bed is in the closet. The raci: is termed with a, forwardly extending part 1 and a transversely extending part 16, so that the initial movement of the panel causes a siinultaneous forward and transverse moviment of the center of rotation of the panel, allowing the closet to be made more shallow and causing the panel, in its open position, to lie closer to the face of the wall. By open position of the panel, I mean the position of the panel when the bed is in the room.

in l have shown. a construction in which the hacking plate 8, which operates to hold the gear in engagement with the rack 5, is displaced by a gear 17 meshing with gear 6, and fixed rack 18 screwed to the floor or otherwise held in place, arranged parallel to the rack 5 and in engagement with gear 17. The intermeshing oi the racks and gears prevents a transverse movement of one gear with respect to the other, so that the gears are always held in mesh and move transversely simultaneously, thereby holdin gear 6 in mesh with rack .ln'Figs. 6 and 7 l have shown a construction in which the rack 5 is arranged in the direction of the depth of the closet instead of transversely thereof. The gear 6 is placed to one side the transverse'center of the panel so that the opposite ends of the panel swing through arcs of difie-rent radii as the panel is turned. When the panel is in the closed position, the gear engages the rear end of the rack and travels forward on the rack as the panel is moved to the open position. The gear is placed, so that as the panel is turned, the shorter side of the panel moves backward into the closet, and by varying the position of the gear betweenthe center and the end of the panel, dillerent lengths or panel will swing into the closet, so that the construction may be adapted to closets of various depths. lVhen the panel is in the open position, it lies in front of the wall and partly to one side of the opening therein. thereby allowing a free passage into the city This feature is advantageous in that it permits of entrance to the closet during the time that the bed is in the room.

I claim: l. The combination with a wall having an hpening, ot' a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, a toothed element attached to said panel to one side of the transverse center thereof and av fixed toothed element in mesh with said first named toothed clement.

Th3 combination with wall having an opening, oi a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, a attached to said anel to one side of the transverse center icrcef, and a fixed racl: engaged by said gear.

The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, a gear attached to said panel to one side of the transverse center thereof, a lined rack engaged by said gear,

and means for holding the in engage-- ment with said rack.

at. he combination with a. wall having an op ning, oi a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, a gear secured to said panel to one side of the transve'se center hereof, a fixed rack engaged by said gear, a n'tral boss on gear, and a backing allel to said rack arranged hold the gear in mesh 5; The combination wi h a wall having an opal g, of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, gea attached to said. panel to one side of the transverse center the eoi, a fixed rack engaged by said. gear arranged transversely of the opening, and means for holding said gear in mesh with said rack.

6. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one pcsition to close said opening, a gear attached to said panel to one side of the transverse center thereof, a. fixed rack arranged transversely of said 0pl1li1g,;wl6 ends of said rack being substantially equally spaced from the sides of said opening, and means for holding the gear in mesh with said rack.

7. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one 100- sition to close said opening, a gear attached to said panel to one side of the transverse center of said opening, and means operative by the rotation of the panel for moving said gear to the other side of the opening.

8. The combinationwith a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, a gear attached to said panel to one side of the transverse center of said opening, and means operative by the rotation of the panel for moving said gear forwardly and transversely to the other side of said opening 9. The combination with a wall having an opening of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening. a gear secured to said panel and a fixed rack engaged by said gear having a portion extending transversely of the opening and a portion arranged at an angle to said transverse portion.

10. The combination with a wall having an opening,'of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, vertical pivots on which said panel is mounted, said pivots being arranged at one side of the transverse center of the panel, and means operative by the rotation of the panel for moving said pivots in the direction of the depth of the opening.

11. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening, a gear attached to said panel to one side of the transverse center thereof, and a fixed racl: arranged in the direction of the depth of the opening, engaged by said gear.

12. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one posiion to close said opening, a gear attached to'said panel to one side of the transverse center thereof, a fixed rack arranged in the direction of the depth of the opening engaged by said gear and means for holding said gear in engagement with said rack.

13. The'combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one posi tion to close said opening, attached to a vertical axis arranged at one side of the transverse center of said panel and movable in the direction of the depth of the opening.

14. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one position to close said opening attached to a vertical axis arranged adjacent one side of the opening and intermediate between the sides of the panel, and means operative by the movement of the panel about said axis to move said aXis in the direction of the depth of the opening.

15. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a. panel adapted in one position'to close said opening, a toothed element attached to said panel, and a fixed toothed element in mesh with said first named toothed element.

16. The combination with a wall having an opening, of a panel adapted in one positicn to close said opening, a gear attached to said panel, a fixed rack engaged by said gear, and means for holding said gear in mesh with said rack.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set JOSIAH A. DEWEY. I

In presence of-- H. G. PRosT, M. Ln Con'rn. 

